


Set phasers to love

by BladeoftheNebula



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Trek Fusion, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Star Trek AU, Vulcan Culture, Vulcan Kisses, Vulcan Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29156361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BladeoftheNebula/pseuds/BladeoftheNebula
Summary: On an away mission, someone mistakenly assumes S'Teve and Tony are together. S'Teve can't stop thinking about it.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 30
Kudos: 129
Collections: POTS (18+) Stony Stocking 2020





	Set phasers to love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [positronic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/positronic/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [positronic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/positronic/pseuds/positronic) in the [stony_stocking_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/stony_stocking_2020) collection. 



> **Prompt:  
>  1) nathan ⎊ (Nathan)  
> 3a) Someone on the team assumes Tony and Steve are together. They're wrong, but now Tony (or Steve) can't stop thinking about it.**
> 
> Hope you like it!
> 
> Thanks to Cookie for the beta ❤️

“We would, of course, ask you Commander Stark,” the Chancellor said, looking apologetic. “But we wouldn’t want to disrespect Commander S’Teve.”

“Oh? I’m not sure I understand.” S’Teve’s ear pricked up at the statement, though he kept his gaze on the surroundings, keeping an eye for security threats. 

They had landed on the planet's surface a few hours prior, a first contact mission with the Lanovians. It had gone well, the locals excited to work and share their knowledge with Starfleet. S’Teve had set about learning their defences and how they protected their world, while Tony spoke about warp theory with the Chancellor, though it would seem the discussions had moved onto matters of diplomacy.

“It is customary to offer visiting parties a chance to take part in one of our match-making ceremonies. Non-binding, unless the two individuals find the match acceptable, of course.” The last part was said with a sly tone, and S’Teve heard Tony laugh in response.

“I see. Well, the crew will be sure to attend. And though I’m sure Commander S’Teve will bow out, I can’t imagine he’d be offended in any way.”

_Logical_ , S’Teve thought. He had taken part or not taken part as needed in many rituals of first contact. This was no different. 

“Oh, I assumed you and the Commander were attached, so it wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Tony snorted. “What? Me and S’Teve? Oh no, he wouldn’t -- we’re not -- no, nothing like that. I would be honoured, Chancellor, to take part in the ceremony.”

“Excellent!” the Chancellor replied, clapping their tentacles together. “Our visitors usually report they had a good time so I’m sure you will find the same. Come, let us speak to your Captain about the arrangements.”

Their voices got quieter as they moved away, and S’Teve was left staring down at his PADD, even as his Lanovian counterpart was still enthusiastically explaining their secure databases. They hadn’t noticed S’Teve’s preoccupation, what he had just heard swirling in his mind. 

Tony had sounded...incredulous. 

Strange. Vulcan and human couples were not common, but they were not unheard of. S’Teve’s own mother was human, living happily on Vulcan with his father. Theirs had been a diplomatic arrangement at first, though his mother assured him it had become love over time. 

It was possible Tony was not interested in Vulcans. Unsurprising, since humans tended to find Vulcans cold and calculating, given their unparalleled control over their emotions, but Tony had always treated S’Teve kindly once they’d overcome their initial disagreement when they’d both joined the crew of the _USS Avenger._

He wasn’t sure why he was thinking about it. It was a simple misunderstanding, no further action needed to be taken. 

He tried to forget, focus on the information he was meant to be recording for their database, but it wouldn’t go away. It followed him through the remainder of the mission, through the matching ceremony where Tony and a few other crew members danced with several Lanovians, and back to the ship when he entered meditation.

He couldn’t seem to suppress it, and worse, he didn’t know what to do about it.

* * *

S’Teve took to watching the Chief Engineer closely. 

Tony was very intelligent for a human; he talked fast with his voice and his hands, and managed to get the ship out of danger on a regular basis.

He charmed others -- of all species -- into friendship or carnal relations, and though he sometimes projected flippancy, S’Teve had never known him to do less than his best for those he cared for. 

He was also... aesthetically pleasing. The tips of S’Teve’s pointed ears increased in temperature when he thought of it, watching Tony strip off his red uniform shirt to allow him to work in some of the tighter spaces of the ship, sweat shimmering on his well-formed muscles. It was a fact, nothing more. Tony had a mostly symmetrical face, with well-maintained facial hair and eyes of a rich brown hue. These traits were often considered attractive in male humans, and S’Teve, as a scholar of Federation species, noticed them in turn. 

Tony, he concluded, would make a good mate, if one were inclined. Unlike S’Teve. S’Teve knew too well he did not conform enough to either half of his heritage. His light blond colouring and bulky form were strange for a Vulcan, while his ears and severe eyebrows were too daunting for a human. And though aesthetics were, of course, the least important trait for a Vulcan to consider, he knew they held great weight for humans. 

It did not explain, however, his sudden preoccupation with Tony. Before Lanova he considered Tony a valued colleague and friend. They sparred, played three-dimensional chess, and often ate together -- the latter had begun as a command from Captain Fury for S’Teve to ensure Tony ate regularly instead of skipping meals when he was caught up in his work, but it had soon become a simple tradition, in which S’Teve brought food for them both to Engineering and they would sup together when their schedules allowed.

Suddenly, every touch Tony gave him was electric. He was one of the few on board who touched him at all, the rest of the crew avoiding it out of respect or discomfort. S’Teve could always rely on a pat of the shoulder or a nudge of an elbow to his side when Tony was around, though, and he found himself anticipating them, revelling in each one, and revisiting them during his meditation. 

It needed to stop. He was wasting valuable time he should be using for scientific advancement or the performance of his duties on the ship, though how he was to achieve it, he wasn’t sure. 

“...and so I was thinking I could increase the capacity of the warp drive by -- hey! Are you listening to me?”

S’Teve looked up, keeping his face blank. “Certainly.”

Tony squinted at him. “No, you’re not. You’ve been god knows where in that logic-driven brain of yours. And you have been for weeks!”

“Clarify,” Steve said, trying to keep his body language restricted. 

Tony huffed. “You’ve been acting strange -- strange for you at least. Did something happen?” He leaned in, lowering his voice. “Have you been dreaming about the cryo-chamber again? I told you, you should speak to the ship therapist--”

“I have not,” S’Teve interrupted, his hand clenching into a fist beneath the table. “I am Vulcan, we do not require--”

“Half-Vulcan, and even if you weren’t, you suffer trauma the same as the rest of us,” Tony growled. “If you’re still struggling with the six months you were missing and frozen, you need help dealing with it.”

“Are you undertaking a courtship with anyone?” S’Teve said, surprising himself almost as much as Tony, if the expression on his face was anything to go by. 

“I’m _sorry?_ ” Tony asked, the PADD in his hand dropping to the table.

“It is a simple question. As a senior officer, if you are engaging in… intimacy with another crew member, it is important for the command team to be aware of it to ensure it meets Starfleet regulations.”

Tony looked angry now. “My love life is no one else’s business, but I assure you if it became a problem, I would report it to the Captain, as is required.”

S’Teve felt a flush of something he couldn’t immediately identify. Shame, he realised. He was prying, for his own gain. “Of course. I apologise.”

“What is up with you?!” Tony snapped, throwing his hands in the air. “You’re unfocused, you didn’t care about the warp drive -- you love hearing about how I increase efficiency! -- and you’re all twitchy. Well no, not twitchy, more like the opposite; you’re so still it’s like you’re a piece of furniture.”

S’Teve had a moment of indecisiveness. Should he reveal himself? 

“On Lanova,” he began, unsure if it was the correct course of action. “I heard you speaking to the Chancellor. He implied we were in a romantic relationship. You disagreed.”

Tony looked confused. “...Yes? We aren’t, unless there’s something you haven’t told me.”

“Your reaction suggested you thought it impossible.”

“Well, I mean, nothing is impossible obviously, we have enough experience to know that, but unlikely, sure.”

“Why?”

“ _Why_ ? Commander, you’re hardly Casanova. You’ve never dated anyone since I’ve met you. And I assume you have a _koon-ut-la_ back on Vulcan, the betrothal custom? Why would I think you’d be open to it?”

S’Teve stared at him. “Casanova?”

Tony waved a dismissive hand. “He’s a historical figure from eighteenth-century Earth, known for his romantic pursuits.”

“Indeed.” 

“I don’t get it, did I offend you? I wasn’t trying to, I just figured you wouldn’t want to take part.”

“Your concern is unnecessary.” This was foolish, he didn't need to explore this further.

“Apparently it isn’t,” Tony said, raising a brow at him. He ran a grease-covered hand through his hair and S’Teve found his eyes drawn to it. His cheeks felt warm, and he knew Tony would be able to see the tell-tale green. 

“I must return to Tactical. It’s almost beta shift.” S’Teve stood abruptly, grabbing his work PADD.

“No it isn’t. Sit your ass down.”

“I’m afraid I cannot. I must report to my station,” S’Teve managed. He turned to leave “And my _koon-ut-la_ was dissolved when I went missing. She married someone else.”

If he were not a Vulcan, what he did might be described as running away. However, since he was, it would better be described as a retreat. 

He could hear Tony’s irritated calls as he failed to get up in time to give chase -- which S’Teve had no doubt he would -- and he darted into the turbolift, feeling a sense of relief as the doors closed. That would be the end of the matter, he would not need to think of it again.

* * *

He was able to avoid being in Tony’s presence for 23.5 hours. It wasn’t down to luck either, since he heard from Mr Wilson that Tony was expending a great deal of energy trying to track him down. 

At one point, he even agreed to assist with some work in one of the Jeffries tubes when he’d discovered Tony’s plan to ambush him in the commissary. He’d managed to change his shift so that they were on opposite sleep cycles for the next few days, hopefully just long enough for Tony to forget their conversation and become distracted with a new engineering problem. Based on past experience, it should only take between twenty-seven to twenty-nine hours for that to occur, but S’Teve was covering all contingencies.

Which is why it was a shock to find Tony lying on his bed when he stepped into his quarters.

“I’m--”

“Going nowhere,” Tony finished. “Computer, lock door.”

The click of the door told him it was futile to attempt to leave, since Tony would never be less than thorough, though he did consider simply breaking the door down with his above-human strength.

Tony pushed himself to his feet to stand in front of him. “I am sick of chasing you around the _Avenger_. It’s annoying, though what worries me more is that I had to _chase you around the_ _Avenger_. You’re Vulcan, I thought you were above that sort of thing.”

He was. Usually. This entire incident had revealed that he was losing the tight grip he held on his emotions. He needed to meditate more. 

He looked at Tony, opting not to answer, which only seemed to annoy the man more. 

“S’Teve, come on. I thought we were past this by now. We’re friends, or at least I thought we were.” He reached out to touch his shoulder, and S’Teve felt the flare of emotions coming from him. Worry, frustration, but beneath it, sadness? A tendril of hurt was winding through all of it, and it made S’Teve’s face twitch. 

“You are my friend,” he told Tony, who seemed to relax at the words. “I am dealing with a personal concern, nothing more.”

“It’s personal enough that you felt you needed to hide from me,” Tony said. “And I can tell it’s about me. Those pointed ears of yours give you away every time. They go bright green like old earth traffic lights.”

Perhaps, S’Teve thought, he should invest in a hat. 

“Be honest with me.”

“Vulcans never lie.”

“Even if that were true, I think the human half of you knows how to lie pretty well. Spill. Or we’re taking chocolate shots until your tongue loosens up a bit.“

S’Teve sighed. Expending the energy to hide it was less efficient than simply telling Tony the truth. “You said on Lanova that we were not romantically involved, and I started to consider that perhaps I wished we were.”

Tony blinked, seemingly speechless. 

S’Teve opted to continue. “You found it amusing that the Chancellor would believe us to be in a relationship. I confess, although I understood it logically, it seems it had more of a lasting impact than I initially believed.”

Tony swallowed. “‘Understood it logically’?”

“I am neither truly Vulcan or human. I am… an oddity. Humans prefer the familiar.”

Tony was shaking his head before he even finished, his hand squeezing S’Teve’s shoulder tightly. “You are one whole person, S’Teve. Best of both worlds. And proof the Federation wasn’t wrong when they said we could co-exist together. I’m sorry if what I said seemed like I was making fun of you. I wasn’t, I promise.” Tony took a deep breath and looked up at him, those dark brown eyes meeting his, filled with something S’Teve didn’t immediately recognise, even with his empathic abilities. 

“You had to know I have a crush on you, the rest of the ship does. I have for years. Ever since that mission on Zenra IV, remember?”

S’Teve was trying to process what Tony had just said, even as his brain pulled the memory forward. “You were injured by one of the Zenran weapons when they mistook us for spies.”

“Right,” Tony agreed. “And you performed first aid, and once I was stable, I told you to go and get help. They were closing in, and no one on _Avenger_ knew what was happening because Zenra IV’s atmosphere caused a comms blackout. The most _logical_ thing to do was for you to go to the rendezvous point and warn the crew. And I begged you to do it, so you wouldn’t be captured too. But you stayed. You picked me up and hid us in those caves and you kept me warm when the temperature dropped. I remember thinking, when I was tucked up against your chest by the fire, that you must genuinely care about me under that rigid posture and those calculating words of yours.” 

S’Teve felt his ears heat up as he remembered. Tony had been in a bad state, his body small against S’Teve’s as they’d waited for rescue. Tony was right. It would’ve made more sense to leave and inform the Captain, but he’d been unable to face the idea of leaving Tony alone, vulnerable and likely to be captured. “We were unaware of how the Zenrans treated captured spies.”

Tony smiled, expression soft. “You cared about me enough to stay, and I started to notice how different you were around me compared to everyone else. And I wanted more. I wanted to be the person you opened up to, who touched you when you needed it, but I didn’t know how to ask. I wanted to be on the receiving end of those cute blushes of yours, and I spend a lot of hours remembering being held by you and wondering what it would be like to experience those muscles of yours in the privacy of my quarters.” His smile turned self-deprecating. “I wanted to be with you, but I was willing to accept just being your friend.” 

S’Teve wasn’t sure how to respond. His emotions were spinning out of control, and he wondered if this was what it had been like for his mother and father, realising that proximity born from necessity had grown into something more. Because it was true; he did care for Tony, knew he was never truly objective when he was around him. And now that he had more information, he realised why exactly Tony’s dismissal had been painful. It was easier to ignore something when you hadn’t had it confirmed.

“You are my friend,” S’Teve told him again, and he felt a pang in his stomach as Tony’s eyes seemed to dim. “But I also feel more strongly for you than anyone else. I felt… hurt, when it seemed like you did not consider me an option, even though I did not truly comprehend why at the time. I wanted you to think of us that way.”

Tony let go of his shoulder, and S’Teve missed the clarity it provided him, of what Tony was feeling. Then Tony reached out, curling in his thumb and the back two fingers, leaving the index and middle extended. 

S’Teve’s heart seemed to pound faster as he marvelled at the gesture. He met Tony’s gaze and realised he didn’t need to sense Tony’s emotions to see the hope in his eyes. He reached out, touching his own two fingers against Tony’s in the Vulcan way.

He trailed them over, revelling in the sensation, knowing that his cheeks had to be green if Tony’s delighted grin was anything to go by. 

Deciding he was tired of being on the back foot, he stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Tony’s waist to pull him close, and pressing their lips together. 

Tony squeaked in surprise, his arms coming up to wrap around S’Teve’s neck as he kissed him back. 

S’Teve could feel the strong muscles forged by regular sparring and hard engineering work, and smell the rich cologne the man always wore. He didn’t limit himself, letting the almost all-encompassing feeling of wanting Tony to guide him. He wanted him, and he wanted to _keep_ him. Love, he decided. This was what his mother had meant. 

Eventually, Tony pulled away for air, letting his fingers brush over S’Teve’s ears, making him shiver.

“So,” Tony said, still clinging to him, the joy he was feeling almost addictive. “I assume I should refrain from matchmaking ceremonies on missions from now on?”

S’Teve’s thumb rubbed circles over his hipbone as he touched their foreheads together. “I believe that would be logical.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! - if you'd like to leave a comment but don't know what to say, I love emojis!!! ❤️
> 
> Come say hi! Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BladeoftheNebu1)/[Tumblr](https://bladeofthenebula27.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Join the [Put on the Suit (18+) server](https://discord.gg/z5WSqbS) over on discord to hang out with fellow stony fans! It’s a super welcoming community and we have a lot of fun ♥️


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